Peter A. Munch
Encyclopedia
Peter Andreas Munch was a Norwegian-American sociologist, educator and author.
, in Hedmark
county, Norway
.
He studied theology at the University of Oslo
receiving a Candidatus theologiæ
degree in 1932. During 1937 and 1938, he was a scientific member of the Norwegian expedition to Tristan da Cunha
. During 1943 and 1944, he was imprisoned by the German occupation forces
. In 1944, he studied sociology and graduating with a Doctor of Philosophy
in 1946 with a thesis titled Sociology of Tristan da Cunha based on the gemeinschaft concepts introduced by Ferdinand Tönnies
. After 1946, he completed linguistic studies at the University of Oxford
and University of Wittenberg.
Munch immigrated to the United States where in 1951 he became a professor at the University of North Dakota
in Grand Forks. In 1957, he was called to a sociological chair at Southern Illinois University
in Carbondale
. Munch worked there until his death, mainly in the fields of cultural anthropology, rural, and maritime sociology. From 1960 until 1964, he was editor of The Sociological Quarterly. He was also a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
.
. The material were donated by the Munch family and are now housed in the Saint Louis Room at Saint Louis University
Archives.
Biography
Peter Andreas Munch was born in NesNes, Hedmark
Nes is a former municipality in Hedmark county, Norway.The parish of Næs was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . The whole parish, except for the island of Helgøya, lies on a large peninsula located in Mjøsa, Norway's largest lake. Nes was merged with Ringsaker January 1, 1964...
, in Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
county, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
He studied theology at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
receiving a Candidatus theologiæ
Cand.theol.
Candidatus theologiæ , Candidata theologiæ , abbreviated cand. theol. is an academic degree with a long tradition, awarded after a six year higher education in theology in Denmark and Norway. In Norway, the title has remained after the "Quality Reform", though it is equivalent to a Master of...
degree in 1932. During 1937 and 1938, he was a scientific member of the Norwegian expedition to Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha is a remote volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and the main island of that group. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying from the nearest land, South Africa, and from South America...
. During 1943 and 1944, he was imprisoned by the German occupation forces
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
. In 1944, he studied sociology and graduating with a Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1946 with a thesis titled Sociology of Tristan da Cunha based on the gemeinschaft concepts introduced by Ferdinand Tönnies
Ferdinand Tönnies
Ferdinand Tönnies was a German sociologist. He was a major contributor to sociological theory and field studies, best known for his distinction between two types of social groups, Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft...
. After 1946, he completed linguistic studies at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and University of Wittenberg.
Munch immigrated to the United States where in 1951 he became a professor at the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
in Grand Forks. In 1957, he was called to a sociological chair at Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
in Carbondale
Carbondale
Carbondale may refer to:*Carbondale, California*Carbondale, Colorado*Carbondale, Illinois*Carbondale, Indiana*Carbondale, Kansas*Carbondale, Ohio*Carbondale, Oklahoma, an area in Tulsa, Oklahoma*Carbondale, Pennsylvania...
. Munch worked there until his death, mainly in the fields of cultural anthropology, rural, and maritime sociology. From 1960 until 1964, he was editor of The Sociological Quarterly. He was also a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway.-History:The University of Oslo was established in 1811. The idea of a learned society in Christiania surfaced for the first time in 1841. The city of Throndhjem had no university, but had a learned...
.
Personal life
In 1934, Peter Munch married Helene Stephansen, with whom he had three children. Dr. Munch died in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee at 75 years of age during 1984.Peter A. Munch Collection
Dr. Peter A. Munch was the creator of a collection of material comprising archives from Tristan da CunhaTristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha is a remote volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and the main island of that group. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying from the nearest land, South Africa, and from South America...
. The material were donated by the Munch family and are now housed in the Saint Louis Room at Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
Archives.
Publication
- Sociology of Tristan da Cunha. Results of the Norwegian Scientific Expedition to Tristan da Cunha, 1937-1938 (1945) ISBN 9780685873564
- The Strange American Way, S. Illinois Univ. (1970) ISBN 9780809304400
- The Song Tradition of Tristan da Cunha (1970) ISBN 9780391020764
- Crisis in Utopia. The Ordeal of Tristan da Cunha (1971) ISBN 0690220758